I love OLO, two articles on drug abuse one, last week, advocating harm minimisation by liberalisation the other, today, advocating harm minimisation by legislation. Funnily I agree, in parts, with both.

It seems to me the trouble with teen alcohol abuse is that the people reading today's piece will all agree and are probably responsible servers of alcohol already. But what about the great unwashed? My anecdote for the day: a few years ago I was at a 14th's (say that with your teeth out) birthday party where a person at the party was out to get the birthday boy drunk. The person plying the child with alcohol was his father, a wealthy successful businessman. I'd like to think that this bloke is the exception to the rule but I still see too many adults who act like this man did.

Teen (and young adult) adult abuse is too high and maybe legislation will help but I doubt it. If it did no one would use dope. Governments push sun-safety behaviour, programmes to quit smoking but seem to quail in the face of the alcohol industies. Funnily enough, given state governments seem to be re-elected when unpopular, this might be the time to get tough but I'd prefer to see educate first, legislate next. Real education that is, aimed at parents but highlghting the teen risk. I also believe that we need to change the culture of adult drinkers too so we lead by example. Dad getting pissed may be a bit of a joke so why can't sonny do it too?

As for other parents offering alcohol, maybe when the first one is successfully sued for breach of a duty of care the penny might drop.

I dare say my parents were able to drink just as easily as i could when they were young. If legislation and strategies the author is suggesting were implemented would we then see the usual articles about how we're "mummying kids these days" and not allowing them to experiment and learn responsibility.

I think (with a certain respect for the figures and facts the author presents) that this may be a little example of forgetting the past and the ease with which people of young ages have always accessed alcohol. Maybe we should look more at society and the values it espouses rather than "the trouble with youth these days".

Have parental attitudes really changed? Or are we more prohibitionist these days (well not me... im still young)

I have two teenage children and another two on their way and the alcohol issue is a problem. It is very difficult for a teenager to go to a party where everybody is drinking and to say no.

The biggest problem is that there are parents out there who actively encourage not only their own teenage children to drink but also their children's friends to drink. There needs to be some laws so that parents can have some support when they stand up against this culture of parents normalising their bad behaviour by feeding it to their children.

I have teenage children. And yes, alcohol is present at many parties. But I fail to see how coming up with legislation to give parents 'spine' is going to make any difference.

PeterJH gives a good indication why. It's a case of monkey see, monkey do. If dad and mum think it is hilarious, acceptable and great fun to get drunk, then no amount of legislation is going to get across the notion to a young person that it quite possible to have a fantastic time and drink alcohol without getting drunk.

The only way to alter drinking behaviour is through changing the culture that it is cool to get drunk. Change: 'I had a great night, I got real pissed!' to 'She/he was real disgusting, what a loser for getting pissed!'

There exists amongst many adults the idea that the ONLY reason to drink alcohol IS to get drunk. Why would their children think any differently?

How many parents today DEMAND children contribute to the home in the form of board?
I'm a fogey now but while an apprentice on less than $3 a week my mother demanded 28 shillings a week for board. This left only 2 shillings for whatever I wanted to spend it on.
I saw 4 teenages recently in the street each with a bottle of spirit.
There was no alcohol in my home, wine then was only sherry or port, beer ten pence a schooner WA, {middy} NSW. No one drank spirit.
It perhaps is the wealth of the community, money or discretionary spending is as high today as it has ever been in Aussie.
Few homes are alcohol free zones today, all signs of an affluent society.
What to do? become poor again?
Instill an ambition to become better educated than ones parent perhaps is one way. Prohibition never works, laws! we have so many now my head spins.
We could try legal "grass" it is not an aggressive dope like alcohol and we have tests when driving, but then there is no profit for the society in taxes as there is with grog.
I'm about to have a smoke and a lay down. I won't have a hangover or throw up when I awake, if someone calls in we'll have a rave with no aggression. I won't be embarrassed if I give a man a hug hello and goodbye either.
fluff

As a nurse working night shift in a regional emergency department, I look after alcohol affected teenagers every week. These are kids as young as 13, with blood alcohol levels that render them unconscious. Many present with friends who suspect the patient's drink has been spiked, but a blood alcohol reading of .15-.2 would explain their state. Only twice have I dealt with what I would call sensible parents who do not make excuses for their child by blaming others at the party. One Mum made her 16yo son get up at about 0730 saying, 'Come on, you're going to hockey.' Good on her I say.
These kids are blind on spirits mostly, who is funding this? Let me tell you that we on night shift are well able to judge by the smell of vomit what the child has been drinking. A sad state of affairs, if only we could film them and show them the state they were in when they sober up.
Orla

Filming them to show them later sounds like an excellent idea. There's nothing so pathetic as a drunk. Child, very sad. Adult, revolting.

Your right. It is so very revolting to see an adult drunk and so very sad to see a child drunk. To make it worse it is so bad for thier health and development!

What I can't understand is why adults drink to that extent and in that manner and fashion? Surely they must know how it looks and the message it sends and how it impacts on their health and the wellbeing of their children?

Children are a product of their environment so if lots of children are acting out that way then the adults are setting the example and providing the environment from which the children are growing and learning.

Its up to the adults to change their attitudes and start living healthy and moderating drinking if that is what we want our children to learn.